Sport

Barcelona bids for Winter Olympics 2022

17 Jan, 2010

Barcelona mayor Jordi Hereu has announced that the city will be putting forward a bid to host the 2022 winter Olympic and Paralympic games. The opening and closing ceremonies and all indoor sports, such as figure and speed skating, ice hockey and curling, would be hosted in the city while the remaining events would take place in the Pyrenees.

If the bid were successful it would make Barcelona the first city ever to host both the summer and winter Olympic games. Winter Olympics are usually held over 16 days during the month of February. Hereu says that the bid has been given the go-ahead by the International Olympic Committee and that the enthusiasm of Barcelona residents would make the games succeed.

While some have questioned the potential costs of such as venture, especially as some new facilities would have to be built in Barcelona, Hereu sees the move as having a positive economic impact on the whole region.